Car-coupling



(No Model.)

` J'. PENIMORE.

CAR GOUPLING.

No. 267,173. Patented Nov. 7, 1882.

N, PETERS. Phmoumngnphu, wamiunm. n. c.

-to the end of a car partly broken away.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN EENIMORE, or ORLEANS, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,173, dated November 7, 1682.

Application led July 21, 1882.

To all whom vit may concern Be it known that I, JOHN FENIMORE, of Orleans, in the county of Orange and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, sufficient to enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make andl use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain improvements in car-couplings, having for its object to effect the coupling'operation with facility and without danger to the attendant, it being performed automatically and without requiring his passing between the meeting cars for that purpose; and the nature of my invention consists in the employment, in connection with a draw-bar, of spring-plates adapted to slide therein with their outer ends projecting beyond the forward end ofthe draw-bar, and having apertures through them to register with a transverse horizontal passage through the draw-bar, and a spring coupling plate or bar adapted to pass through the passage in the draw-bar and the apertures in the aforesaid spring-plates, and having an operating-lever.

1t consists, further, in certain detailsin the construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1. is a perspective view of my carfcoupling applied Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the draw-bar, showing the Vspring-plates. Figs. 3, 4, land 5 are other detail views of my coupling.

In carrying out my invention I employ a draw-bar, A, formed preferably in the direction of its length with a chamber or opening, a, iiaring outwardly or forwardly, and with passages a c arranged outside ot' and following the direction of the flaring sides of the passage a. 4

B B are metal plates, inserted into and adapted to conform to the outward or forward Haring arrangement of the passages a" of the draw-bar A. The inner lconvergent ends of theplate-s Bare connected together, and have (No model.)

their uniting bolt or rivet passing through the neck of a block, b, said neck or block beinginserted between said ends of plates B.

In rear of the plates B is arranged a spring, G, partly coiled around the block l), and located in a rearward extension of the chamber a in the draw-bar A, the normal action of which is to project the forward ends of the plates B beyond the draw-bar, as shown in dotted lilies in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig...2. Through the sides ofthe plates B are made apertures c, which are adapted to register with coincident apertures, c c2, made respectively through the sides of the inner walls ofthe passages c a. and through the sides of the draw-bar A, and which receive the horizontally-sliding plate D. The outer ends of the plates B are bent laterally or provided with right-angled projections d, to provide broad surfaces of contact for the approaching drawbar during the coupling operation. The horizontally-sliding plate D has connected to its means of a headed and nutted pin or bolt, e, the rightangled forwardlyprojecting eXtensionsf cf a lever, F, pivoted at j" to the end of the car, said lever heilig limited in its movement by a guide or staple, 2, fastened also to the end of the car. This lever extends upward sufficiently above the top of the car when applied to a house or stock carto permit it to be conveniently operated at that point, and has in such case a chain or rope, G, connected to its upper end and passed through a staple, g, secured to the end of the car, its lower end depending sufficiently near the ground to permit it-s being readily grasped and pulled by the operator standing thereon when it is desired to uncouple the cars at that point. The chain Gr, for convenience of operation, may be provided with a handle, h. H is a helical spring, with one end fastened to the end ofthe car and the other end to the lower shorter arm of the lever F, the purpose of which is to thrust the plate into the link during the coupling operation and to hold it therein when the cars are coupled.

Iis the coupling-link, preferably formed into a small and a large loop, the small loop having a plate, J, passed through it in the draw-bar A to effect the holding the link therein, while projecting end by roo Y the plate itself is held in the draw-bar by a pin, K, passed through an aperture in the draw-bar and an aperture in the plate.

It will be observed that when the cars are `unc'oupled the plates B will be projected at their forward ends by the spring C beyond that end of the draw-bar A, and the plate D, answering to the ordinary coupling-pin, will be withdrawn from the apertures c c2 of the plates B and the inner walls of the passages a', which has been previously effected by pulling downward upon the chain G or pushing downward upon lever F, the apertures c of the forwardly-projected plates B being moved out of line in part with the apertures c2 in the inner walls ofthe passages a and the aperture c inthe draw-bar, thus enabling the plates B to prevent the coupling plate or bar re-entering the link-chamber a, said couplingplate being held by the action of the spring H to permit it to spring into the coupling-link at the instant of the retraction of the plates B. Upon the meeting ot' the cars the link I ofthe draw-bar A will pass into the draw-bar'A, and the plates B of the latter draw-bar will be forced inward by the meeting draw-bar Al striking their lateral projections d, causing the apertures c ot said plates to fully register .or

come into line with the passage or aperture c of the drawbar A. At this juncture the coupling plate or bar will instantly spring or pass through said apertures and into the coup'- ling-link I, effecting the coupling of the cars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the chambered draw-bar A, of the spring sliding plates B, having their outer ends projecting beyond the forward end of the draw-bar, and apertures c through them, adapted to register with a transverse horizont-al passage, c', in the draw-bar, and the spring coupling plate or bar D, adapted to pass through the aforesaid apertures c of the plates B and the passage c of the draw-bar, with an operating-lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the chambered draw-bar A, of the spring sliding plates B, having their outer projecting ends provided with lateral projections or iianges d, and apertures c through them;adapted to register with a transverse horizontal passage, c', in the draw-bar, the coupling plate or bar D, adapted to pass through the aforesaid apertures c and passage c', the spring H, and the lever F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. ln a car-coupling, the combination, with the chambered draw-bar A, having passages af, of the sliding laterally-apertured plates B, with their inner convergent ends secured to a block, Z1, having connected thereto a spring, C, said spring-plates diverging toward and at the forward end ofthe draW-bar, beyond which they project,` substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN FENIMORE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES P. MUNGER, JOHN J. LINGLE. 

